RASA's album "The Unknighted Nations" seems very long, not because it is boring or painful, but because it is so varied and interesting. You want ouds? We got your ouds. You want a cello? We got your cello. You want an African-American rapper or a freaky sounding guy with a synthesized voice? A woman who sings a bit like Billie Holiday? We got them, too. All of these sounds combine to make music that is restless, a bit unsettling and distinctly nocturnal.
The word rasa is Sanskrit and means something like "a sense of the spiritual." But as for what RASA itself is, well, that's a good question. Most of the tunes on this album were written by a fellow named Mitsuru Matsuki, and he also arranged and produced the entire album. Working with a crew of Japanese musicians, a programmer and rapper who goes by the name of Doug, Mitsuru has assembled an album that is cinematic yet extremely muscular.
The album opens with "Angel Fall." The mood of this tune is thick and film noir-ish, rendered in some dark, industrial part of town where people might get down and boogie every once in a while but never quite relax. A car starts its engine, voices chatter somewhat menacingly in the background and a man and woman murmur in French. A throaty female vocalist drops in and floats through the mix as the bass and drums come together and lay down a complex, jazzy beat while a forlorn trumpet plays to the darkness.